Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise trip to Ukraine on Sunday amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
He was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Christia Freeland and Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie. They arrived in Kyiv this morning.
The prime minister’s office said he should meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to show Canada’s support for the country and its people.
Alexander Markushin, the mayor of Irpin, posted photos on his social media profile showing the prime minister circling the devastation on the outskirts of Kyiv. The city was heavily bombed before Russian forces retreated.
Trudeau also hoisted the Canadian flag to mark the reopening of the Canadian embassy in Kyiv, along with Freeland and Jolie. The embassy has been closed since early February as Western intelligence warned that a Russian invasion seemed imminent. Initially, the diplomatic staff was moved to the western city of Lviv, but then all moved to Poland.
“This flag fell on February 13 and we are really happy to raise it again,” the prime minister told reporters at the embassy. “The development of the Canadian flag in Kyiv is once again an incredible testament to the strength and solidarity of Canadians in Ukraine.
The first attempt to raise the flag was thwarted by a damage to the cable, before a second successful attempt at a ceremony shared by Canadian officials and Serhiy Mayer, one of Ukraine’s security guards who cared for the empty building.
Mayer was personally grateful to the Prime Minister, who described the raising of the flag as an important symbolic moment in the friendship between Canada and Ukraine.
Andrei Shevchenko, Ukraine’s former ambassador to Canada, says Trudeau’s visit sends a “massive” signal.
“This is not just another sign of solidarity,” he told CTV on Sunday.
“(Trudeau) has a very decent understanding of what is happening here. But now he had the opportunity to see it with his own eyes,” Shevchenko said. “I think it’s very important that he has that understanding.”
The time of Trudeau’s visit also falls the day before Russia’s Victory Day, which celebrates the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II over Nazi Germany. Some observers believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin may use the May 9 celebrations to declare either a symbolic victory over Ukraine or a further escalation of the conflict.
“I think those who are here in Kyiv – they appreciated the time of this visit,” said the former ambassador. “Yes, it is true that the Russians are obsessed with this mythology for May 9 and there is a lot of news and talk about what could happen in the next 24 hours.”
Trudeau also plans to hold virtual meetings with G7 leaders to talk about the war in Ukraine.
US First Lady Jill Biden also paid an unannounced visit to the country on Mother’s Day, meeting with local mothers and her Ukrainian counterpart in the southwestern city of Uzhgorod.
With files from The Canadian Press
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is raising a maple leaf over the embassy in Kyiv when it reopens. Trudeau spent the day with Ukrainian President Zelensky. pic.twitter.com/FNQ7pq68Aj
– Paul Workman (@PaulCTV) May 8, 2022
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